Vidya Balan’s journey to stardom began with a story straight out of a movie. The actor, known for her powerful performances, recently revealed that her Bollywood debut Parineeta (2005) was offered to her in the most unexpected setting — at an Enrique Iglesias concert.
Speaking to Bombay Times, Vidya recalled the magical night that changed her life forever. “My friend Pavitra and I were at Enrique’s concert in Mumbai in 2004, when director Pradeep Sarkar called me to offer Parineeta. We were trying to inch closer to the stage; my phone was off, and Enrique had gone off the stage between the songs. We were hoping to get to the front by the time he comes back to perform, and hoping he pulls me on stage. Around this time, Pradeep Dada must have called me, but he couldn’t get through, so he called Pavitra. He asked her, ‘Vidya kahan hai?’”
What followed was the kind of twist only fate could write. “Pavitra handed the phone to me. Dada told me that Vidhu Vinod Chopra wants to talk to me. I told him I am at a concert and can talk to him once I get out. By then, Mr Chopra came on the line and told me, ‘Vidya Balan, you need to get out of that venue and reach a quieter place where you can speak,’” she said.
{{/usCountry}}What followed was the kind of twist only fate could write. “Pavitra handed the phone to me. Dada told me that Vidhu Vinod Chopra wants to talk to me. I told him I am at a concert and can talk to him once I get out. By then, Mr Chopra came on the line and told me, ‘Vidya Balan, you need to get out of that venue and reach a quieter place where you can speak,’” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Vidya and her friend “grudgingly” made their way to the gate — and that’s when destiny struck. “VVC told me then, ‘You are my Parineeta,’ and by then Enrique had come back on stage and sang Hero. While the song was always special to me, this moment sealed the deal for me. For me to receive this news when that song played, I couldn’t stop crying. My hands and legs were trembling. It is undoubtedly one of the most special moments of my life,” she shared.
Looking back, the actor sees it as more than a coincidence — almost poetic. “I got my big movie break at Enrique’s concert. So, when people ask me if I am going to his concert, I jokingly say…I completed 20 years in the movies. No wonder he’s coming back to celebrate that! It almost felt like the birth of me as a heroine happened at his show while he sang Hero,” she laughed.
And if Vidya could dedicate a song to her idol, she knows exactly which one it would be. “If I were to dedicate one of my songs to Enrique, it would be Piyu Bole from Parineeta. That would be poetic justice,” she smiled.
The Enrique Iglesias concert in Mumbai
Mumbaikars and fans across India are thrilled to see Enrique Iglesias return to Mumbai after more than two decades. The global pop sensation is set to perform at the MMRDA Grounds in Bandra Kurla Complex on October 29 and 30, marking his comeback to India after 13 years.
The last time Enrique performed here was in 2012 as part of his Euphoria World Tour, which took him to Pune, Gurugram, and Bengaluru. That tour came eight years after his first-ever India visit, which included shows in Mumbai and Bengaluru — one of them at the very same venue he’s returning to this year.